New Additions to Spyderco Salt Series 2017

Golden, CO based Spyderco tells us they're expanding their Salt Series Line with some new designs in 2017.

Here's the good word.

New Additions to Spyderco Salt Series 2017

Meet the new knives coming to the Spyderco Salt Series line in 2017. Spyderco offers an entire line of 100% rust-free knife folding and fixed blade knives, with new designs being added regularly. What started with a couple folders has expanded into a full-line of folders and fixed blades made with non-rusting H-1 and LC 200N steels. Expected delivery in 2017 is a new H-1 Salt version of our popular Manbug Lightweight folder and a Salt Series fixed blade called the Fish Hunter that will be publicly announced in our upcoming 2017 catalog, mailing this November.

What is H-1 and LC 200N?  Ordinary steel is produced by adding carbon to iron. This process changes the molecular matrix of the metal, enabling it to be altered through a variety of heat-based processes to produce hard, extremely durable things like knife blades. Unfortunately, carbon-based steels also have a significant flaw: they are vulnerable to rust.

Spyderco’s Salt Series solves the problem of rust on knives by using advanced non-carbon-based steels like H-1 and LC 200N. These materials are fundamentally different from conventional steels and their unique qualities make them ideal for hard use, in and around the water.

Rust occurs when the carbon in steel reacts with chloride. To avoid this, H-1 and LC 200N use nitrogen instead of carbon to give the material its steel-like qualities. Nitrogen does not react with chloride, making the blades completely impervious to rust, even when submerged in salt/fresh water for extended periods of time.

These alloys are unique because they are austenitic steels. Traditional martensitic steels use a heat treating process to harden and temper them to be serviceable knife blades. H-1, however, “work hardens” through the mechanical processes of shaping and grinding the steel. The areas “worked” the most—like the bevels and cutting edges—become the hardest. The areas worked less remain softer and tougher. The end result is a blade with differential hardness that provides an exceptional balance of strength, flexibility and cutting performance.

You can find Spyderco online right here.